An artificial turf soccer pitch built in Genemuiden, Netherlands, in 2009 required refurbishment to maintain its state-of-the-art performance. It was no problem to re-use the existing base layer, Alveosport shock pad produced by Sekisui Alveo, in the new turf system – saving the owners extra investment. The club wanted a new pitch incorporating the latest developments and technology in artificial turf soccer systems. Edel Grass, the artificial turf producer from Genemuiden that installed the original pitch, was hired to conduct the rehab project. The first step in the project was to remove the old artificial turf carpet, including the infill. As expected, the Alveosport shock pad underneath looked in good condition for continued use. This was confirmed by having the shock pad tested by the external laboratory KIWA. The measured values show that the ten-year-old Alveosport NUT 3001 12 mm foam and all critical performance characteristics had remained unchanged. This was no surprise, since Sekisui Alveo claims that Alveosport has a lifespan twice as long as that of the artificial turf carpet and issues a 25-year warranty on the product.
After the accredited testing institute had confirmed that the Alveosport shock pad will perform well for another 10-15 years, the old shock pad was prepared for re-use in less than a day. While the artificial turf carpet and infill were being professionally removed by machinery, some small damaged areas of the shock pad were quickly and easily repaired.
The new pitch in Genemuiden built with recyclable and re-used materials is now in operation, and the players and owners are delighted with its performance. Its shock absorption, energy restitution and ball rebound are excellent, and its performance is uniform over the entire pitch.
photo: Sekisui Alveo AG
